Community group seeking public input on changes to the Wellesley pond
THE WELLESLEY POND, BEING refilled after a summer of construction, is still in need of improvements, with a community group looking for public feedback on the pond’s future.
Wellesley Friends of the Pond group hosted an open house meeting Monday night to discuss improvements, using a plan drawn up by a consultant as a starting point.
“About a year ago, we had a design that we took to the public,” said group member Murray Bremner. “There were many concerns about the size of the pond. One of the aspects of the design to change the size of the pond to make the water cooler and deeper and healthier.
“There was a fair amount of concern about it being too small, and some concern that the public hadn’t had the chance to respond to and learn about the pro- posed changes to the pond.”
The idea this time around is to collect public input on these proposed changes featuring designs created by Water’s Edge Environmental Solutions Team. The alterations include increased green space, a new variety of plant life, and precise planting locations. The Wellesley Horticultural Society sponsored the forum.
“We’re having them in as guest speakers because there’s quite a bit of interest in it in the town,” said Diane Peters, president of the horticultural society. “We have a representative on the Friends of the Pond committee as well. We’re having them come in and talk about what they’re doing.”
Another idea for restoration is to remove the excess sediment that has built up over the years to increase the pond’s depth.
“Digging it out is impor-
tant,” said Bremner. “The sediment ... it’s been 30 some odd years since it’s been dredged out. It has increased to the point where the water level is only two or three feet deep. One of our ideas is digging out that sediment to make it deeper for the pond to become cooler and have a better fish habitat. We also want to im- prove the edge of the pond, so it doesn’t erode.”
Their plan for action is nearing the final stretch, so this meeting ensured that everyone has their say beforehand.
“We’re getting near the final details, and we’ve got pretty broad public approval, of people on board,” said Bremner. “We just have to make sure everybody’s had the chance to have their say.”
The wildlife in the pond that they are attempting to preserve include snapping turtles, carp, herons, Canada geese, and ducks.
For anyone who may have missed the event on Monday, ideas can be submitted to the Wellesley Friends of the Pond Facebook page.